Author's note: I do not own The Hobbit or Lord of the Rings.

"In order for the light to shine so brightly the darkness must be present."

-Francis Bacon

Chapter One: Home is Behind

Gandalf left the company at the edge of the forest of Mirkwood. Kili peered uneasily into the darkness between the overgrown trees. A sinking feeling settled deep in his gut. Although dwarves were not among the most proficient in magic of the races of middle earth, Kili could feel the ancient power in this forest. Gandalf's warning to stay on the path stuck in the forefront of his mind. Fili shifted beside him, restless and agitated as well. No matter what, Kili would not let his brother out of his sight.

While Thorin turned his back as the wizard mounted his steed, Kili couldn't help but watch until the tip of Gandalf's hat disappeared over the ridge before turning again to the dark wood, pausing only to steady his nerves, before stepping onto the crumbling path. The company followed suit. The light of the sun faded until only the murky fog remained, coiled thick and snake-like around the tree roots.

The woods creaked and cracked. Kili could have sworn that he saw the branches moving of their own accord. As the company traveled farther inwards the fog surrounded them and grew thicker, as did the fog in their minds.

Fili swayed drunkenly, though Kili knew his brother had drunk no ail or port. If Fili had any spirits, Kili would have been the first he'd shared it with. Fili suddenly pitched forwards and Kili was barely able to catch his brother before he met the dirt. He placed a steading arm around Fili's shoulders.

The trees and leaves began to spin and Kili pressed a hand to his head, lightheadedness having crashed down on him. He felt like he was suffocating.

"We're going in circles!" Balin yelled out from the front.

Kili dropped his hand and glanced upwards, Balin was little more than a small dot in the distance.

The company were getting farther and farther away from them despite Kili keeping pace. A sudden wave of tiredness washed over his mind. He glanced down to see his feet walking backwards, though he was still moving forwards.

Kili didn't even see the tree root that caught his foot bringing him and his brother down, nor did he see the sharp rock that collided with his head.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

"Alex, hurry up with the firewood!" My mother yelled from the back of Dad's pickup.

My baby cousins, who weren't babies anymore (for goodness sake they both had driver's licenses), ran past with snow balls in their hands, a stray one catching the back of my head. "Sorry Lex!" Garrick yelled over.

"It's fine. I know where you're sleeping tonight." I laughed, shaking the flakes out of my cropped hair. I had to take off my beanie to get the biggest hunk of snow out.

"Seriosly, sorry," Garrick apologized again, "I was aiming for my sister," he waved at little Mary who was standing on the porch railing with her tongue sticking out.

"Really," I reached down and rolled a mess of wet snow up.

Garrick turned back around and I smashed my new weapon in his face, the flakes ran down his chin and fell sloppily into his collar.

"Lex!?" he wiped at his eyes.

Quickly I hefted the last of the firewood out of the bed of the my pickup while flipping him off and running inside our grandparents' cabin.

This Christmas was looking to be a great one.

A few hours later the kids, meaning anyone who still couldn't vote, went to bed early in order to get up bright and early to open Christmas presents tomorrow morning. All the grownups gathered down in the living room to share drinks and hot totties a per tradition. It was the first year I got to join them, my twenty first being the month prior.

"Looks who's the big girl now!" Uncle Blake laughed and handed me a whisky on the rocks.

"Yeah, I don't know about…" I swirled the brown liquid around.

"This is the first drink I get to buy you, it's not going to be any damn girly stuff." He smacked me on the back jovially.

I stumbled slightly and raised the glass to my nose to sniff. "OHhh" The strong smell caught me off guard, "Mom, Dad, a little help here."

"Go on baby." My mom said taking a long drink of her eggnog. "I wanna see your reaction to."

"Ok," I lifted the glass to my lips and gagged before I could take a sip. "If I throw up I'm going to make sure it's all on you guys." My uncle grinned as I tipped the glass. I immediately choked at the acrid taste to everyone's amusement. Another hard swallow and I got all the liquid down with a cough. "Smooth." I gasped.

"And that's enough for now." My Dad laughed and plucked the glass out of my hand.

"Dad." I whined.

"I'm still your Dad. No more for now."

"Hey Dan," My Uncle called to my Dad.

"Yep?" Dad turned his back and I felt a tap on my shoulder.

My Mom discretely handed me a full glass of egg nog with a wing and I had to bite down on my lip to hide my giggle.

"Is this the stuff with the fireball in it?" I leaned in and whispered to her.

"You betcha," My mom said while gulping down the rest of her's. She took me by the arm and led me over to sprawl out on the couch, "So how were your exams?"

"I think they went well," This past semester was better than the last, "I really liked my theatre credits, but it was the math requirement that was kicking my ass."

"Language!" She sputtered, "honestly I don't know where the hell you get your mouth from."

I raised my eyebrows incredulously at her, "Really, you have no idea."

"Nope," she grinned over the rim of her glass

"Alexia!" My Grandma's voice called out from the kitchen.

"You better go see what she wants." Mom nodded in the direction of the kitchen and plucked my eggnog from my hands and downed it on one go.

"Hey!" At her look I raised my hands and surrendered "Ok," I hopped off the couch, "Don't start monopoly without me."

I skidded into the kitchen. "Yeah grams."

My grandma, a beautiful woman even at her ripe age, was just finishing putting her famous cherry pie in the oven. "Can you put your boots on real quick, Sandy wandered off into the woods again."

Sandy was her old Labrador, poor thing was practically blind and had a tendency to get lost in the dark woods surrounding the cabin. Lucky we were pretty much in the middle of nowhere so she wouldn't get hit by any cars and there was a fence that encircled most the property back when this used to be a cattle farm. Sandy couldn't get to far.

I slipped on my fuzzy boots and reaching for my coat before deciding to leave it inside. Finding Sandy shouldn't take too long. The snow on the deck was up to my ankles. Sandy's paw prints headed out to the trees just beyond the light coming from the sliding door behind me.

Wrapping my arms around my chest I sprinted towards the darkness. "Sandy! Come here girl." When that go no response I cupped my hands around my mouth and took a step into the trees. "Sandy, I'll get you a treat. Come on girl!"

I continued forwards. Snow dusted onto my checks and I brushed them away with the back of my hand with a shiver. I took a deep breath, the cold air made my lungs hurt a bit.

"Alexia!"

I jumped at the sudden noise.

My grandma's voice rang through the branched like a bell, "I've got Sandy, come inside!" The trees creaked in the cold wind and seemed to close in.

"Coming!" I turned around.

The wind stopped. All sound was gone, not even a branch moved. My breath turned to mist in front of my face. "Grandma!" I yelled. I never knew how accustomed to an echo I was until I didn't hear one.

I opened my mouth to call out again when I spotted movement. My eyes traveled over the tree trunks nearest me. Shapeless shadows flitted from trunk to trunk then melting back into the deep dark of the night, making me question if I ever saw them in the first place.

The air around me warmed and fog rolled around my feet. I wobbled, the ground seemingly rolling underfoot.

Then I heard it, the whistling of wind. My hair whipped around my face and I leaned forward, peering into the dark.

"What the...?" I muttered and narrowed my eyes in the direction the wind was coming from.

Out of the shadows a wall of fog materialized and barreled towards me.

Pushing off the tree I ran the direction of the cabin. My lungs seized painfully. I couldn't breath and with a jolt of fear I remembered my inhaler was inside.

The woods stretched on and on, far beyond what should have given way to my grandparents' yard. The mist caught up, swallowing me whole.

I latched onto a small tree in my path, wrapping my arms wrapped around it like my life depended on it as the wind screeched past like a hurricane.

Suddenly, as quickly as it began it ended. I let go of the tree and ran. The grass covered ground barely registered in my mind as I blindly tore forwards.